What's your favorite Townes Van Zandt song? What's your favorite Lightnin' Hopkins song? This is a tall order, so I'm gonna have to think about it for a bit and report back.
Hard to pick a favorite Townes song. ... Guess I'll go with To Live Is To Fly due to hearing it the most through the years, but lately have been revisiting the In The Beginning album & wearing out Black Jack Momma, Hunger Child Blues, Gypsy Friday, When Your Dream Lovers Die & Waitin' For The Day. .... Such a GREAT album. .... Really love the live albums, Live At The Old Quarter & Rear View Mirror as well.
Is every one an answer? The pickin’ in Lungs gets me every time. Tecumseh Valley is the most pure, simple, real life song that’s ever been sung. Lightning is another one where it’s a different song every time you put on an album. Lightnins Love today. Thank you again very much Otis! The new interviews have been great. You’re a true professional in all you do and it comes out of your work.
Favorite Lightin song today is Bring me my shotgun, Townes , the tower song, both will change in a month or so, I listen to both alot and have seen this photo online and now the story is complete. Huge thanks Otis!!
This interview was so very, very interesting. Thanks much. As for a favorite Lightnin’ Hopkins song, I am unable to pick one. I am in awe of every recording of his I’ve ever heard. He had a spark of the divine. I got to see him once live, in 1970, in a small club in San Francisco.
Wow that is a great question. I’m currently having a glass of red wine . At the moment my favourite song is Loretta , tomorrow it maybe waiting around to die , The song I’m listening a lot to is a song by by Guy Clark called step into this house . Towns songs are very special,. . We are are very privileged to have you make these videos please keep them coming . God bless you 😀
Bless you for this. Townes's fare thee well miss carousel is slept on honestly, Lightning's it's a sin to be rich is a jam. It was lovely to find your video on this. Happy living sir ✨
My favorite from Townes changes, some days its Lungs, some days it's Pancho and Lefty (like an epilogue to Blood Meridian), Mostly If I Needed You. I love the irony of the joke he tells about the two drunks, his songs are so beautifully sad that even his joke sounds melincholy. I'd like to hear more stories about John's uncle. I remember as a kid, maybe 12 or 13 being so into folk music, but I couldn't understand why somebody would devote their lives to documenting people like Woody, thinking everyone knows Woody why would you need to track all this stuff down- and as it turns out we so needed the Lomaxs to do this for American music (Arlo lives in the next town over from me, I keep skulking around at the local Luthier hoping I'd see him, no such luck- but the action on my guitar is perfect 😂). Thanks Otis
My favorite Lighnin Hopkins song is It's a Sin to be Rich... I can probably narrow my Townes favorites down to four: Brother Flower, Flying Shoes, The Rake, and To Live is to Fly. Maybe. I really look forward to watching your videos, and listening to your own music, thank you so much!
This is crazy. I just saw this photo for the first time today... Wasn't looking for this or anything related to it but I remember thinking 'Wow, I wonder what the story behind this photo is.' I know townes loved Lightnin' and spent a lot of time learning from his records. Incredible. Thanks, Otis.
Your capturing the story behind it is as important as Lomax taking the picture not to mention illuminating our sketchy understanding of these times and the lives of these artists at this fork in the road of history.
Can't believe this picture isn't better known. Mr. Lomax deserves much credit and I wouldn't mind seeing him make a few bucks from it too. My favorite Townes song: To Live is to Fly; though For the Sake of the Song is an awfully close second. I must listen to Lightnin' more to decide a favorite of his.
wow John Lomax III, thats a killer guest, i can only imagine his stories. Yea both Townes and Lighntnin were huge to me, never got to see Lightnin, i was too young only about 10 when he died, but ive known a lot of people that played with him down here in TX in the 60s/70s. Its too hard to name a fav song for either of them maybe you are not needed now, but with lightnin its even harder cause most of his songs change every time, but ill say i really like his playing and he was a hugely influential guitar player even to a lot of electric players.
@@otisgibbs All thanks to you kind sir. .... My cat Charlie is getting neutered right now and am anxiously waiting for the vet to call, so I know he's all good & ready to return home. Your efforts are always appreciated, but the timing of todays upload most certainly worked out well for this dude. ..... That, & also happened to put the Townes, In The Beginning album in my car CD player a couple days ago. .... Hopefully shall be on the road & listening to it whilst picking up a drowsy, yet healthy boy shortly 🤞. 🤘
Favorite lightin ? I have so many lps…I usually like the ones best where there’s a drummer trying to guess where the changes will drop…lol….he was the king of confidence, the waves just flew right through his center. He always makes it work… When you discover a new one it’s the air in the room..he is completely is in charge …that one for international s something else too…I must have 50+ no kidding
Love your series , thank you for all you do...stayed with Larry Rhodes in Asheville, after i found out accidentally that he was Towes' "driver" , but he had me at Townes. Get in touch if want to talk. Keep up the awesome job you do.
These interviews are just wonderful and the production of them are excellent with good camera and lighting to bring them to professional quality, thank you Otis.
I was in Houston in the sixties and saw Mr. Lomax II perform several times at UH. JL III sure reminds me of him. Thanks for the photos and the memories.
Townes. Wow. man, myth and legend. Same for lightning. A different world from today to be sure. The lomax family single handedly preserved so much music history. It’s amazing. I wish I had the $$ to support the legacy. For Townes it’s probably Rex’s blues, If I needed you and Snowing on Raton. But it’s hard to pick as I love so many. Lightning well he’s pure blues so they all are good. But I love his album lightnings boogie. Thanks Otis for sharing your friends and giving a damn
TVZ = Flying Shoes and Lightnin w/ Sonny Terry = Drinkin in the blue's. (At least their version) Thanks Otis ! You're like an old friend I'm always glad to hear from.
Favourite TVZ song? Tough to choose, but, "To Live is To Fly" is a song I've listened to countless times and would be the one I'd pick if pressed. Flows like a river. Shines like the sun. Just beautiful.
Hi Otis. Another great video mate. I really enjoy watching and finding out about the history of these musicians and their music. You are becoming the gatekeeper of this knowledge. Keep up the good work 👍
What a great interview. The comments section is gold too, so interesting seeing how many say it's too difficult to choose a favourite TVZ, or it changes from time to time. Thanks.
This is so great. Lightnin has been my hero since I heard Mojo Hand at age fourteen his songs are in my fingers every time I touch a guitar. All these people were amazing.
Love your videos, Otis. One of my musical mentors claims to have been a pretty good friend of Townes and Blaze also played a lot of those places like the Old Quarter around the same time as “Lightnin’ Sam” as he calls him. So glad there is new content like this floating around out there!
I'd like to encourage everyone to go watch this Guy Clark video I posted a couple of days ago. I think a lot of Townes/Lightnin fans will dig the story. ua-cam.com/video/S0o-1hH-zSc/v-deo.html
can’t thank you enough for this because this is a vid where 4 of my fav musicians take part BD,TOWNES, LIGHTING & HANK WILLIAMS my fav towns song (for the next two minutes) would be „at my window“, i know theres much more really sad songs but for now and my fav lighting song is the sun‘s gonna shine
Thanks Oti, you made me look and sound good, I'm really happy for that photo to get more exposure. After over 60 years Towne3s' songs still bounce in and out of my head, unbidden. My favorite, if I had to choose one, is "To Live's To Fly" but "Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria" is a close second, mainly for the imagery - "A diamond fades quickly when matched with the face of Maria". . . and so on. Have to refresh my memory on Lightning. Thanks again for taking the time! Best, John
Thanks for the fantastic story! All music lovers owe so much to the Lomax family. Without them legends like Leadbelly and the Carter Family would be unknown. Might not have had Woody or Dylan. The story about chopping the log in the middle of a song brings to mind the Hampton Grease Band. In Atlanta in 69 & 70 while they played a rock & roll song you heard a racket from backstage. Out comes a guy with a chain saw running full blast. Another guy rolls out a big log and they whacked away. Col. Bruce Hampton was a unique character and a student of the blues. Now I know where the lumber-jack song came from! Brought up to date by the Colonel. Thanks again, Otis!
No Lonesome Tune is not only my favorite TVZ, it might as well be my favorite song of all time. Not sure about my favorite Lightnin' Hopkins, but I sure do love the Les Blank doc "The Blues According to Lightnin' Hopkins." Perhaps the most stylish man to ever play music and I mean that whole heartedly. Lightnin' just exuded cool like no one else. Glad Les Blank was wise enough to capture him on film.
Hey Otis ...great segment of history...amazing that this photograph exists....my favorite Townes songs are really the classics...White Freightliner blues, To live is to fly, Mr. Mudd and mr. Gold...Lightnin' Hopkins songs blend in my mind and I forget the titles but Mojo Hand definitely...it is so great that you feature Mr.Lomax and his photograph...historic documentation of the coolest level... I have an older friend who spent years photographing jazz artists and he told me the same story : he would regularly hear of his work appearing in books without photographer credit...so it goes, as Vonnegut would say.
My favorite Townes Van Zandt song has to be the Brazos River Song. And I found three different versions on the internet of that photograph. Another great video.
So many Townes songs to choose from but I’d say “I’ll be here in the morning” “Colorado Girl” “If I needed you” or “Rex’s Blues” would be a couple of my tops. Great video Otis.
Otis, I am totally enjoying the historical road of music you are taking us down with these interview tapes. Three favorite Townes songs are If I Needed You (written one morning after waking up at Guy's house), To Live's To Fly, and of course Pancho and Lefty. Lightnin' Hopkins songs Bad Luck and Trouble and Death Bells, but enjoy his rendition of Baby Please Dont Go. I just couldnt come up with only one favorite from these iconic artist.
I am so thankful for your videos Otis, thanks to you I got heavily into townes about a year ago, the same time I started picking the guitar and guess what, my first sucessfully sang and picked songs for an audience (friends) were #1 Waiting Around To Die, #2 Kathleen and #3 Black Crow Blues thank you and keep the videos coming Cheers from Portugal
Thanks for this. I always associate my FAVORITE Townes release--Our Mother the Mountain--with the heaviest influence on his work of Lightning, Bob, and Hank. More minor chords in that album than maybe all the others combined, lol! And thanks, too, for bringing us folk archivist ROYALTY in John. Wow!
Cool man! Some of my buddies found a bunch of Lightnin Hopkins' 45s in a town dump in 1966 or 67 all the same and the title was Mr Charley's Blues parts 1 & 2 a real classic! Anybody ever hear of it?
Picking a favorite is hard, the first song I learned on guitar was If I Needed You. Waiting Around to Die was second. But I also like Second Lover’s Song and I’ll be here in the morning. Lyle Lovett turned me on to exploring Townes many years ago when he did Flying Shoes at the restaurant where I worked. He told me who wrote the song and a few others. I went out the next day and bought every Townes album I could, seven I think on the first attempt.
Townes is my favorite. Lightning is awesome. That finger picking style sounds like two people playing at once and I love it. My favorite Townes song is Rake. Can’t even explain why in words, Just listen to it. Thanks Townes.
Hey otis. Love the channel. I recently found an upload of the great alan lomax documentary called "lomax the song hunter" but it was all subtitled in spanish so I could only understand the english speakers. Great music, great film. Still searching for an english version but I reccomend it.
Wow , that ‘s a great story. When I was a young ‘un, growing up in Austin, one of the highlights of every summer was a week of live music at the Hillside Theater in Zollverein Park. Families would bring blankets and lawn chairs, sit under the stars and watch a different type of music each night. One evening it would be chamber music, the next night show tunes, and so forth. And on blues and folk night, they’d usually have Lightnin’, Mance Lipscomb, and, I believe, Carolyn Hester, among others…all for free. I don’t think we realized what an amazing thing that was.
I need to check out the Houston Folklore and Music Society. I played at Sean Walter's Folk gigs he used to host, wound up meeting some interesting people...played lead for Tom Russell one night and others. Houston in the 70s was an interesting time, booming in the late70s with some good clubs to make a decent living from. Cool pic. Marie and the Hole are my favorites right now.
JL III was on either NPR or the local Austin broadcast a couple of months back and I happened to have caught some of these stories. I've read the biographies of the family-introduced to them as his dad taught at UT (not while I was going there). That's 3 sets of legends-Lightin', van Zandts and the Lomax clan. In the 70s, Texas lowered the drinking age to 18 and I saw Lightin' at Mother Blues in Dallas courtesy of a forged High School Library card. My first time in a nightclub without my parents! I saw Townes perhaps 6 or so times over the years-I even have TvZ 45's! Lightnin fav songs-Baby Please Don't Go, Short Haired Woman-He was a gem Townes-Tower Song-stopped me in my tracks the 1st time I heard it. Marie-saddest song ever written-No Zippity do Dah there as I heard Townes once say, Mr Mudd and Mr Gold-Live in Berlin recording
@@otisgibbs Went back to my 45 stacks-Found a Lightin' 45 on the Fire label-Mojo Hand 1960, and 3 Townes 45s-all are on Poppy Records in traditional 45 with the big hole format-2 are DJ copies-actually non DJ are rarer--DJ copies of Waitin' Around to Die, If I needed You and a regular non DJ copy-which must be pretty rare-of Honky Tonkin/Snow Don't Fall. Between the ages of 15 and about 25, I was actively searching/buying odd weird vinyl back in the 70s/early 80s and accumulated around 1500 odd 45s
I would assume a lot of the old recordings on YT of the original blues and folk singers were recorded by his uncle Alan. If not for him, very few would know about the pioneers. The masses weren't aware until YT.
What's your favorite Townes Van Zandt song? What's your favorite Lightnin' Hopkins song? This is a tall order, so I'm gonna have to think about it for a bit and report back.
Hard to pick a favorite Townes song. ... Guess I'll go with To Live Is To Fly due to hearing it the most through the years, but lately have been revisiting the In The Beginning album & wearing out Black Jack Momma, Hunger Child Blues, Gypsy Friday, When Your Dream Lovers Die & Waitin' For The Day. .... Such a GREAT album. .... Really love the live albums, Live At The Old Quarter & Rear View Mirror as well.
I continue to be affected by Tecumseh Valley
Waitin around to die and have you ever loved a woman
Is every one an answer? The pickin’ in Lungs gets me every time. Tecumseh Valley is the most pure, simple, real life song that’s ever been sung.
Lightning is another one where it’s a different song every time you put on an album. Lightnins Love today.
Thank you again very much Otis!
The new interviews have been great. You’re a true professional in all you do and it comes out of your work.
Favorite Lightin song today is Bring me my shotgun, Townes , the tower song, both will change in a month or so, I listen to both alot and have seen this photo online and now the story is complete. Huge thanks Otis!!
This interview was so very, very interesting. Thanks much. As for a favorite Lightnin’ Hopkins song, I am unable to pick one. I am in awe of every recording of his I’ve ever heard. He had a spark of the divine. I got to see him once live, in 1970, in a small club in San Francisco.
Rake. In my opinion his best tune. Great episode Otis. Thx
I'm in awe thank you Otis, Mr. Lomax this is great hear history from someone who was actually there not just hear say!
Thank you, Todd!
Wow that is a great question. I’m currently having a glass of red wine . At the moment my favourite song is Loretta , tomorrow it maybe waiting around to die , The song I’m listening a lot to is a song by by Guy Clark called step into this house . Towns songs are very special,. . We are are very privileged to have you make these videos please keep them coming . God bless you 😀
Bless you for this.
Townes's fare thee well miss carousel is slept on honestly,
Lightning's it's a sin to be rich is a jam.
It was lovely to find your video on this.
Happy living sir ✨
My favorite from Townes changes, some days its Lungs, some days it's Pancho and Lefty (like an epilogue to Blood Meridian), Mostly If I Needed You. I love the irony of the joke he tells about the two drunks, his songs are so beautifully sad that even his joke sounds melincholy. I'd like to hear more stories about John's uncle. I remember as a kid, maybe 12 or 13 being so into folk music, but I couldn't understand why somebody would devote their lives to documenting people like Woody, thinking everyone knows Woody why would you need to track all this stuff down- and as it turns out we so needed the Lomaxs to do this for American music (Arlo lives in the next town over from me, I keep skulking around at the local Luthier hoping I'd see him, no such luck- but the action on my guitar is perfect 😂). Thanks Otis
That luthier comment is tremendous, Rich! : )
I've always been curious about that photo, so nice to learn this
Awesome! Thank Otis!
Thank you, Caleb!
I named my youngest son after Townes. My current favorite Townes song “I’ll be here in the morning” but that’s liable to change day to day!
These videos with John Lomax are fantastic.
Wonderful stories, thank you so much.
My favorite Lighnin Hopkins song is It's a Sin to be Rich... I can probably narrow my Townes favorites down to four: Brother Flower, Flying Shoes, The Rake, and To Live is to Fly. Maybe. I really look forward to watching your videos, and listening to your own music, thank you so much!
Thank you, Susie!
If I Needed You, No Place to Fall, The Highway Kind, Rake, Tower Song, White Freightliner Blues
Great video!!!!! My Starter Won't Start This Morning.
Thanks, Timothy!
This is crazy. I just saw this photo for the first time today... Wasn't looking for this or anything related to it but I remember thinking 'Wow, I wonder what the story behind this photo is.' I know townes loved Lightnin' and spent a lot of time learning from his records. Incredible. Thanks, Otis.
Also snowing on Raton !
Otis...wow! You are the only guy out here connecting these pieces of the puzzle for us. Who knew Townes and Lighting ever met? Thank you times 1000!!!
Wonderful stuff, thanks. Baby please don't go, always got my foot tapping.
That picture is just amazing.
A national treasure. What an interesting life, and such a perceptive observer and gifted storyteller
Loved this interview, learned much. Thanks!
Your capturing the story behind it is as important as Lomax taking the picture not to mention illuminating our sketchy understanding of these times and the lives of these artists at this fork in the road of history.
We really need more Townes stories from you Otis! Have watched the "Townes playlist" a hundred times now!! ;)
Big thanks Otis for posting this outstanding, brilliant and wounderful masterpiece interview with John Lomax III.
Outlaw Two Shirt Man
You are killing it Otis ... I love the interview format!
Thank you, Robert!
Love your show Otis
So awesome to see an interview with John Lomax the 3rd
Can't believe this picture isn't better known. Mr. Lomax deserves much credit and I wouldn't mind seeing him make a few bucks from it too. My favorite Townes song: To Live is to Fly; though For the Sake of the Song is an awfully close second. I must listen to Lightnin' more to decide a favorite of his.
"Where I lead me" - Townes
"I'm going to build me a heaven of my own" - Lightnin
If I had to choose one from each.
Thanks for what you do Otis!
Thank you, Slim!
Snowin on Raton , Pancho n Lefty of course, man so many!! And Lightnin is just Lightnin…. Legend!
Thanks Otis for sharing these stories! Especially before they get lost. I will think about my favorite songs
Thank you, Randy!
wow John Lomax III, thats a killer guest, i can only imagine his stories. Yea both Townes and Lighntnin were huge to me, never got to see Lightnin, i was too young only about 10 when he died, but ive known a lot of people that played with him down here in TX in the 60s/70s. Its too hard to name a fav song for either of them maybe you are not needed now, but with lightnin its even harder cause most of his songs change every time, but ill say i really like his playing and he was a hugely influential guitar player even to a lot of electric players.
Thank you, Haze!
Favorite Townes Van Zander song Tecumseh Valley & I’ll Be Here in the Morning. Blaze Foley, Let Me Ride in Your Big Cadillac. Thanks for the video.
Love stories/interviews such as this. ... Tis why I keeps a-comin' on back.
- Thanks & be well ✌️
Thank you!
@@otisgibbs All thanks to you kind sir. .... My cat Charlie is getting neutered right now and am anxiously waiting for the vet to call, so I know he's all good & ready to return home.
Your efforts are always appreciated, but the timing of todays upload most certainly worked out well for this dude. ..... That, & also happened to put the Townes, In The Beginning album in my car CD player a couple days ago. .... Hopefully shall be on the road & listening to it whilst picking up a drowsy, yet healthy boy shortly 🤞.
🤘
@@OldHenryLee Send my love to Charlie! : )
Favorite lightin ? I have so many lps…I usually like the ones best where there’s a drummer trying to guess where the changes will drop…lol….he was the king of confidence, the waves just flew right through his center. He always makes it work…
When you discover a new one it’s the air in the room..he is completely is in charge …that one for international s something else too…I must have 50+ no kidding
Love your series , thank you for all you do...stayed with Larry Rhodes in Asheville, after i found out accidentally that he was Towes' "driver" , but he had me at Townes. Get in touch if want to talk. Keep up the awesome job you do.
These interviews are just wonderful and the production of them are excellent with good camera and lighting to bring them to professional quality, thank you Otis.
Thank you, Artemis! I've been wanting to do this since last summer. It feels great to be able to slowly get out into the world again.
I was in Houston in the sixties and saw Mr. Lomax II perform several times at UH. JL III sure reminds me of him. Thanks for the photos and the memories.
Great pic-great story. Thanks Otis.
Thanks, Magan!
Very very cool, was surprised he'd not made a dime from a picture so rare.
Thanks, Jim!
This is important. Good job.
Townes. Wow. man, myth and legend. Same for lightning. A different world from today to be sure. The lomax family single handedly preserved so much music history. It’s amazing. I wish I had the $$ to support the legacy. For Townes it’s probably Rex’s blues, If I needed you and Snowing on Raton. But it’s hard to pick as I love so many. Lightning well he’s pure blues so they all are good. But I love his album lightnings boogie. Thanks Otis for sharing your friends and giving a damn
I'd love to play like Lightning! I can play the notes, but it just doesn't sound the same. : )
Lightning’s “It’s a Sin to be Rich, It’s a Low Down Shame To Be Poor”
TVZ = Flying Shoes and Lightnin w/ Sonny Terry = Drinkin in the blue's. (At least their version) Thanks Otis ! You're like an old friend I'm always glad to hear from.
Thank you, Hal!
I love his sense of humor and animation… Thanks Otis
Great story and picture Otis! Be well!
Thanks, Jim!
Favourite TVZ song? Tough to choose, but, "To Live is To Fly" is a song I've listened to countless times and would be the one I'd pick if pressed. Flows like a river. Shines like the sun. Just beautiful.
Hey Otis , Just Love These Stories !!! Good Weekend ... Jimmy ....
Thanks, Jimmy!
I love to hear Townes stories. Keep them coming. Thanks Otis and Mr. Lomax.
Thank you, Frank!
Worthy of the Library of Congress. Hats Off Otis
Thank you! : )
time flys, it always seemed to me that the 1970s were modern times thnk you Otis for bringing em back makes me happy, , have a good en !
Thank you, Michael!
Hi Otis. Another great video mate. I really enjoy watching and finding out about the history of these musicians and their music. You are becoming the gatekeeper of this knowledge. Keep up the good work 👍
Thank you!
❤️ this is a beautiful video Otis
Thank you, Cindy!
What a great interview. The comments section is gold too, so interesting seeing how many say it's too difficult to choose a favourite TVZ, or it changes from time to time. Thanks.
Thank you, Peter!
Great stuff again. Really Really cool.
Thanks, William!
A very good story, thank you, and thank you, John.
Thank you, Robert!
This is so great. Lightnin has been my hero since I heard Mojo Hand at age fourteen his songs are in my fingers every time I touch a guitar. All these people were amazing.
Love your videos, Otis. One of my musical mentors claims to have been a pretty good friend of Townes and Blaze also played a lot of those places like the Old Quarter around the same time as “Lightnin’ Sam” as he calls him. So glad there is new content like this floating around out there!
I'd like to encourage everyone to go watch this Guy Clark video I posted a couple of days ago. I think a lot of Townes/Lightnin fans will dig the story. ua-cam.com/video/S0o-1hH-zSc/v-deo.html
Man I bout cried from laughing when he talked about his dad whacking that wood and pieces flying off into the crowd 😂. Loved this story.
can’t thank you enough for this
because this is a vid where 4 of my fav musicians take part
BD,TOWNES, LIGHTING & HANK WILLIAMS
my fav towns song (for the next two minutes) would be „at my window“, i know theres much more really sad songs but for now
and my fav lighting song is
the sun‘s gonna shine
It's nice to see so many people from the Bob world popping in here. - Drift
Thank you!
@@whiskeycitydiggers
yes🍀
once i commented on a sun ra channel wich is kind of obscure
just to find out that there where some BD folks around⭐️
Thanks Oti, you made me look and sound good, I'm really happy for that photo to get more exposure. After over 60 years Towne3s' songs still bounce in and out of my head, unbidden. My favorite, if I had to choose one, is "To Live's To Fly" but "Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria" is a close second, mainly for the imagery - "A diamond fades quickly when matched with the face of Maria". . . and so on. Have to refresh my memory on Lightning. Thanks again for taking the time! Best, John
@@johnlomaxiii7341 Thank ya kindly, John! : )
Such a great story!! Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Todd!
Thanks for the fantastic story! All music lovers owe so much to the Lomax family. Without them legends like Leadbelly and the Carter Family would be unknown. Might not have had Woody or Dylan.
The story about chopping the log in the middle of a song brings to mind the Hampton Grease Band. In Atlanta in 69 & 70 while they played a rock & roll song you heard a racket from backstage. Out comes a guy with a chain saw running full blast. Another guy rolls out a big log and they whacked away.
Col. Bruce Hampton was a unique character and a student of the blues. Now I know where the lumber-jack song came from! Brought up to date by the Colonel.
Thanks again, Otis!
That's tremendous, Mike! : )
My fav' Lightnin' song is Merry Christmas. Great blues song.
All of them
I so appreciate your stories. I learn so much. Thank you Otis!!
Thank you, Michele!
No Lonesome Tune is not only my favorite TVZ, it might as well be my favorite song of all time. Not sure about my favorite Lightnin' Hopkins, but I sure do love the Les Blank doc "The Blues According to Lightnin' Hopkins." Perhaps the most stylish man to ever play music and I mean that whole heartedly. Lightnin' just exuded cool like no one else. Glad Les Blank was wise enough to capture him on film.
Another good interview with plenty of backstory. Keep these videos coming.
Thanks, John!
Love these stories. Thank you! It makes my days at work go a little faster lol
Thank you! : )
Hey Otis ...great segment of history...amazing that this photograph exists....my favorite Townes songs are really the classics...White Freightliner blues, To live is to fly, Mr. Mudd and mr. Gold...Lightnin' Hopkins songs blend in my mind and I forget the titles but Mojo Hand definitely...it is so great that you feature Mr.Lomax and his photograph...historic documentation of the coolest level... I have an older friend who spent years photographing jazz artists and he told me the same story : he would regularly hear of his work appearing in books without photographer credit...so it goes, as Vonnegut would say.
Thank you, Steve!
A legend taking pictures of two Legends- "All things must pass".
My favorite Townes Van Zandt song has to be the Brazos River Song. And I found three different versions on the internet of that photograph. Another great video.
Thanks, William!
Thanks Otis! My favorite town's song is mr.mud and mr.gold and it's a sin to be rich for lightning.
Thank you, Joe!
So many Townes songs to choose from but I’d say “I’ll be here in the morning” “Colorado Girl” “If I needed you” or “Rex’s Blues” would be a couple of my tops. Great video Otis.
Thanks, Boogie!
Highway kind is my favorite TVZ song.
Otis, I am totally enjoying the historical road of music you are taking us down with these interview tapes. Three favorite Townes songs are If I Needed You (written one morning after waking up at Guy's house), To Live's To Fly, and of course Pancho and Lefty. Lightnin' Hopkins songs Bad Luck and Trouble and Death Bells, but enjoy his rendition of Baby Please Dont Go. I just couldnt come up with only one favorite from these iconic artist.
Thanks, Mojo! : )
"Marie", kills me every time, as for Lightning, "Bad luck and trouble" or "Mojo hand", thanks Otis for another gem.
Thanks, Rodney!
My favorite Townes song is Flyin Shoes!
I’ve only begun listening to Townes, one album. I have yet to listen to Lightnin’ Hopkins, or Guy Clarke.
Thank you both for this video.😊
Thank you, Caper!
Check out Guy Clark's live album, Keepers. It is a great introduction to his songs.
My favorite Townes songs are Buckskin Stallion Blues and If I needed you. With Lightnin' it's Have you ever loved a woman and Black Cadillac.
Otis, a quick search on google photos pulled up two more group shots from that day with additional people in the picture.
I am so thankful for your videos Otis, thanks to you I got heavily into townes about a year ago, the same time I started picking the guitar and guess what, my first sucessfully sang and picked songs for an audience (friends) were #1 Waiting Around To Die, #2 Kathleen and #3 Black Crow Blues
thank you and keep the videos coming
Cheers from Portugal
Thank you, Moonarka!
This is amazing and that’s a very loaded question my favorite Townes song seems to change as the song changes 💜
Thank you, John!
Thanks for this. I always associate my FAVORITE Townes release--Our Mother the Mountain--with the heaviest influence on his work of Lightning, Bob, and Hank. More minor chords in that album than maybe all the others combined, lol! And thanks, too, for bringing us folk archivist ROYALTY in John. Wow!
Thank you!
Brand New Companion was a pure tribute to Lightnin’ by Townes. Gotta pay those dues.
Cool man! Some of my buddies found a bunch of Lightnin Hopkins' 45s in a town dump in 1966 or 67 all the same and the title was Mr Charley's Blues parts 1 & 2 a real classic! Anybody ever hear of it?
That would be a great day at the dump! : )
Picking a favorite is hard, the first song I learned on guitar was If I Needed You. Waiting Around to Die was second. But I also like Second Lover’s Song and I’ll be here in the morning. Lyle Lovett turned me on to exploring Townes many years ago when he did Flying Shoes at the restaurant where I worked. He told me who wrote the song and a few others. I went out the next day and bought every Townes album I could, seven I think on the first attempt.
I woke up with a backache - by the time his story was done my spine was perfectly straight and I had grown half a foot. I could watch this all day.
Thank you, Andrew!
Townes is my favorite.
Lightning is awesome.
That finger picking style sounds like two people playing at once and I love it.
My favorite Townes song is Rake.
Can’t even explain why in words,
Just listen to it.
Thanks Townes.
Hey otis. Love the channel. I recently found an upload of the great alan lomax documentary called "lomax the song hunter" but it was all subtitled in spanish so I could only understand the english speakers. Great music, great film. Still searching for an english version but I reccomend it.
The Lomaxs are legendary Texans! Reading The Land Where The Blues Began changed the way I see music.
They changed American music forever! : )
Wow , that ‘s a great story. When I was a young ‘un, growing up in Austin, one of the highlights of every summer was a week of live music at the Hillside Theater in Zollverein Park. Families would bring blankets and lawn chairs, sit under the stars and watch a different type of music each night. One evening it would be chamber music, the next night show tunes, and so forth. And on blues and folk night, they’d usually have Lightnin’, Mance Lipscomb, and, I believe, Carolyn Hester, among others…all for free. I don’t think we realized what an amazing thing that was.
That’s “Zilker” Park, where Barton Springs is. Thanks, spellcheck!
Snowin on Raton
I need to check out the Houston Folklore and Music Society. I played at Sean Walter's Folk gigs he used to host, wound up meeting some interesting people...played lead for Tom Russell one night and others. Houston in the 70s was an interesting time, booming in the late70s with some good clubs to make a decent living from.
Cool pic. Marie and the Hole are my favorites right now.
JL III was on either NPR or the local Austin broadcast a couple of months back and I happened to have caught some of these stories. I've read the biographies of the family-introduced to them as his dad taught at UT (not while I was going there). That's 3 sets of legends-Lightin', van Zandts and the Lomax clan.
In the 70s, Texas lowered the drinking age to 18 and I saw Lightin' at Mother Blues in Dallas courtesy of a forged High School Library card. My first time in a nightclub without my parents! I saw Townes perhaps 6 or so times over the years-I even have TvZ 45's!
Lightnin fav songs-Baby Please Don't Go, Short Haired Woman-He was a gem
Townes-Tower Song-stopped me in my tracks the 1st time I heard it. Marie-saddest song ever written-No Zippity do Dah there as I heard Townes once say, Mr Mudd and Mr Gold-Live in Berlin recording
I had no idea Townes 45s existed. It makes perfect sense, I'd just never thought abut it before now. : )
@@otisgibbs Went back to my 45 stacks-Found a Lightin' 45 on the Fire label-Mojo Hand 1960, and 3 Townes 45s-all are on Poppy Records in traditional 45 with the big hole format-2 are DJ copies-actually non DJ are rarer--DJ copies of Waitin' Around to Die, If I needed You and a regular non DJ copy-which must be pretty rare-of Honky Tonkin/Snow Don't Fall. Between the ages of 15 and about 25, I was actively searching/buying odd weird vinyl back in the 70s/early 80s and accumulated around 1500 odd 45s
Two of my all time favorites! A tall order in deed, but...Townes-Rake, Lightnin'-Black Ghost Blues
Wow!!!!!
10,000 thumbs up!
Thank you!
Rex's Blues. All day, every day.
I would assume a lot of the old recordings on YT of the original blues and folk singers were recorded by his uncle Alan. If not for him, very few would know about the pioneers. The masses weren't aware until YT.